Created at statehood from lands in the southern part of the Cherokee Nation, Indian Territory, McIntosh County was named for a well-known Creek family. The chief physical feature of the county is Lake Eufaula, which is comprised of 105,000 acres and is the largest body of water in Oklahoma.
The county seat, Eufaula, is located 13 miles south of I-40 on U.S. 69. The Creeks immigrated into the area in 1836 and their influence is seen in names such as Eufaula, which comes from an old Creek town in Alabama called Yufala, "they split up here and went to other places." The Asbury Mission Boarding School was established in 1849 by the Episcopal Church under a contract with the Creek Indian Council. Today it is the Eufaula Boarding School. The Indian Journal founded in 1876 and published in Eufaula, is the oldest surviving newspaper in the state. Tourism is the main industry in this area.
Checotah, established by the KATY railroad station, was named for a principal chief of the Creek Indians, Samuel Checote. The town, once a battleground where the Creek and Little Osage fought, is now a trade center for northern McIntosh and southwest Muskogee counties. It has a major clothing factory and an aluminum plant, and centers for ranching are located throughout the county.
For more county information, call the county clerk's office at 918/689-2741. County narrative provided courtesy of the Oklahoma Department of Libraries from the 2002-2004 Oklahoma Almanac.
| Population Totals | ||
| 2002 Estimate | 2000 Census | |
| McIntosh | 19,700 | 19,456 |
| Median Age: | 44.1 | |
| Median Household Income: | $25,964 |
County Government
County Seat: Eufaula
Court Clerk: Carrie Pittman, D, Eufaula
Clerk: Diana Curtis, D, Checotah
Sheriff: Terry Jones, D, Eufaula
Treasurer: Carol Lindley, D, Eufaula
Assessor: Trina Williams, D, Checotah
Election Board Secretary: Polly Williams, D, Checotah
Commissioners:
District 1 – Bobby James, D, Checotah
District 2 – Tim Pindley, D, Eufaula
District 3 – Ronnie Layman, D, Eufaula
